Break and Enter:
The Peterborough Police Service is investigating following a break-in at a Charlotte Street restaurant.

Sometime between 10 p.m. on February 16, 2018 and 1 p.m. on February 20, 2018 unknown suspect(s) broke into the restaurant located in the area of Charlotte and George Streets and stole a quantity of cash from the cash box.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Peterborough Police Service at 705-876-1122 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS

During a three day plain clothes detail more than 100 charges were laid relating to distracted driving and view obstructed offences.

“This is an incredibly high number of charges in such a short period of time. It is very concerning as we know that every year in Ontario distracted driving fatalities continue to surpass deaths caused by drunk driving or speeding,” says Sgt. Peter Sejrup, with the Traffic Services Unit.

The detail, held February 13, 14 and 15, involved unique plain clothes techniques to help in detecting distracted driving and view obstructed offences at various locations within the City. Officers were either in an unmarked vehicle, or posing as pedestrians walking on the sidewalks and crossing at intersections, making observations and calling out offences to waiting uniform officers.

During this short time period, 106 charges were laid in relation to these offences, with a significant number of them occurring while drivers were stopped at, or approaching, a red light.

Sgt. Sejrup reminds drivers that, “simply holding the device while driving a motor vehicle is an offence. The only way to call or text safely, and legally, is to pull over, put the motor vehicle in park, then pick up your device,”

Being stopped at a red light or a stop sign does not provide a legal opportunity to text, call or program your GPS. Sgt. Sejrup notes that wearable devices are also included and cautions motorists not to check their calories burned, or read/send an email while driving.

“These unique enforcement techniques are necessary to help enforce the Highway Traffic Act to ensure our roads are as safe as possible,” says Sgt. Sejrup.

“Leave the phone alone, save $500, and possibly a life. Be a “Zero Hero” and commit to zero calls and texts while driving.”

This directed patrol campaign continues for the month of February, along with the other regular duties and enforcement initiatives.

Break and Enter Arrest:
The Peterborough Police Service has made an arrest following a break-in at a local scrap metal yard.

At approximately 9:40 p.m. on February 19, 2018 police were called to a scrap metal business on Erskine Avenue for a break and enter. Police were provided a description of a male suspect along with information that the suspect was seen entering a vehicle in the locked compound.

At approximately 10:30 p.m. officers located the male suspect as he was riding a bicycle in the area of McKeller Street and Erskine Avenue.

As a result of the investigation Joseph Nicholas St. Laurent, 27, of Cameron Street, Peterborough, was arrested and charged with break and enter.

The accused was released from custody and is scheduled to appear in court on March 8, 2018.

At approximately 8:45 p.m. on February 16, 2018 an officer on patrol in the area of Chemong Road and Bellevue Street saw a vehicle heading north on Chemong at a high rate of speed.

The officer followed the vehicle and conducted a traffic stop on Towerhill Road. While speaking with the driver of the vehicle the officer noted a strong odour of alcohol coming from the driver’s breath. A subsequent breath test revealed the driver had more than twice the legal limit of alcohol in his system while operating a motor vehicle.

As a result of the investigation Todd Lawrence Lowes, 49, of Towerhill Road, was arrested and charged with impaired driving and operating a motor vehicle with more than 80mg blood alcohol content. The accused was served a 90 day automatic driver’s licence suspension and his vehicle was impounded for seven days.

The accused was released from custody and is scheduled to appear in court on March 8, 2018.

Shortly after 1 a.m. on February 15, 2018 an officer on patrol in the area of Murray and Aylmer Streets saw a vehicle travelling at a high rate of speed and without slowing down or making any attempt to stop at a stop sign.

The officer followed the vehicle and conducted a traffic stop in the area of McDonnel and Park Streets. During the traffic stop the officer noted a strong odour of alcohol coming from the vehicle. A subsequent breath test showed the driver had more than the legal limit of alcohol in his system while operating a motor vehicle. During the investigation an amount of marijuana was located in the vehicle.

As a result of the investigation Jonathan Andrew Wilson, 25, of Hooton Drive, Cavan, was arrested and charged with the following:

Impaired driving

Operating a motor vehicle with more than 80mg blood alcohol content

Possession of a schedule II substance (Marijuana under 30grams)

The accused was served a 90 day automatic driver’s licence suspension and his vehicle was impounded for seven days.

The accused was released from custody and is scheduled to appear in court on March 8, 2018.

Ongoing Investigation:
The Peterborough Police Service continues to investigation following a Saturday night collision.
At approximately 10 p.m. on February 18, 2018 a vehicle in the area of Aylmer and Townsend Streets collided with at least two parked cars. The male driver of the vehicle was taken via ORNGE air ambulance to a Toronto-based hospital for treatment to his injuries. The Peterborough Police Service Collision Reconstruction team attended the scene. The investigation continues.

Care or Control While Impaired/Over 80mg Arrest:
A 28-year-old Lindsay, Ontario resident has been charged following a traffic investigation earlier in February.

On February 9, 2018 at approximately 9:30 p.m. police received a call from a concerned person regarding a possible impaired driver. A short time later officers located the suspect vehicle parked in front of an address on Wilson Street in Peterborough and a male occupying the driver’s seat. The man exited the vehicle with keys in hand at which time officers spoke with the male, noting a strong odour of an alcoholic beverage coming from his breath.

A subsequent breath test revealed the male had more than twice the legal limit of alcohol in his system.

As a result of the investigation Tanner Edwards, 28, of Beverly Street, Lindsay, was arrested and charged with care or control while impaired and care or control over 80mg.

The accused was released from custody and is scheduled to appear in court on March 1, 2018.

Drug Arrests:
Three people have been arrested and charged following a drug investigation where police seized a loaded handgun, suspected cocaine, oxycocet tablets and cash.

On February 14, 2018 members of the ICAD Unit (Intelligence, Crime Analyst, Asset Forfeiture, Drugs), Emergency Response Team and K9 Unit conducted an investigation into the sale of controlled substances.

As a result of observations made three people were arrested behind a George Street address in Peterborough for drug related offences. As a result of the arrests and subsequent search police seized the following items:

A loaded 9mm handgun with high capacity magazine

Approximately 80 grams of suspected cocaine

31 oxycocet tablets

A large quantity of Canadian currency (To be determined)

As a result of the investigation the following persons were arrested and charged:

James Alexander Park, 28, of Durham Region, is charged with the following:

Possession for the purpose of trafficking – cocaine

Possession of a prohibited or restricted firearm with ammunition

Unauthorized possession of a firearm

Carrying concealed weapon

Possession of firearm or ammunition contrary to prohibition order

Possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose

Possession of proceeds of crime under $5,000

Fail to comply with recognizance x3

Park was held in custody and is scheduled to appear in court later today (Feb. 15).

Zachary David Graham-Singh, 25, of Durham Region, is charged with the following:

Possession for the purpose of trafficking X2 (cocaine and oxycocet)

Possession of proceeds of crime under $5,000

Graham-Singh was held in custody and is scheduled to appear in court later today (Feb. 15).

James Moncur, 46, of Peterborough, is charged with the following:

Possession for the purpose of trafficking (cocaine)

Possession of proceeds of crime under $5,000

Fail to comply with probation order

Moncur was held in custody and is scheduled to appear in court later today (Feb. 15).

Attempt Break and Enter Arrest:
The Peterborough Police Service has made an arrest following attempted break-ins to restaurants and cafes on Hunter Street West.

On February 9, 2018 at approximately 5:15 a.m. a citizen saw a person attempting to break into a Hunter Street West restaurant. Police were called and officers were dispatched to the area where they located the suspect along with a set of hedge clippers.

Through the investigation the suspect was connected to two other attempted break-ins on February 9, 2018 to restaurants and cafes along Hunter Street West.

As a result of the investigation Thomas Mark Perdue, 27, of Brock Street, was arrested and charged with the following:

Attempt break and enter X3

Breach of probation X3

Possession of break-in instruments (hedge clippers)

The accused appeared in court on February 9, 2018, was remanded in custody and is scheduled to appear again in court on February 28, 2018.

Ongoing Investigation:
The Peterborough Police Service is investigating following an assault outside a George Street North pub over the weekend.

At approximately 1:20 a.m. on February 11, 2018 a male in his 20’s became involved in an argument with an unknown male outside the establishment.

During the argument it was reported that the unknown male assaulted the victim. When the victim’s friend attempted to intervene the friend was assaulted by a second unknown male.

Police and EMS attended the scene and the victim was taken to a local hospital for treatment to his injuries.

A description of the first unknown suspect is as follows:

Black male

Approximately 6’2”

Thin build

Flat top haircut

Wearing a gold chain and black clothing

Anyone with information is asked to call the Peterborough Police Service at 705-876-1122 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS

Impaired/Over 80mg Arrests:
Calls from concerned citizens over the weekend led to the arrest of two Peterborough residents for charges including impaired driving.

On February 9, 2018 at approximately 11 p.m. police received a call from a citizen regarding a motor vehicle that had driven onto a snowbank of a residence at the intersection of Maude and Princess Streets. The caller believed the driver to be impaired and provided police with a description of the driver.

Police arrived on scene and located the vehicle in the snowbank but there were no occupants inside. A person in the area alerted the officer to a male seen leaving the vehicle and was now walking west on Princess Street.

The officer located and stopped the male suspect. While speaking with the male the officer noted an odour of an alcoholic beverage coming from the man’s breath. Through the investigation it was revealed the man had been the driver of the vehicle in the snowbank.

A subsequent breath test revealed the driver had more than the legal limit of alcohol in his system.

As a result of the investigation Steven Ray Morden, 48, of Princess Street, was arrested and charged with operating a motor vehicle with more than 80mg blood alcohol content.

The accused was released from custody and is scheduled to appear in court on March 1, 2018.

Furthermore, shortly before 5 p.m. on February 10, 2018 the complainant was heading east on Lansdowne Street when they observed an SUV in front of them driving erratically and swerving all over the road. The complainant called police to report the vehicle.

A short time later officers located the suspect vehicle and the male driver at a Peterborough residence. While speaking with the man officers noted a strong odour of an alcoholic beverage coming from the driver’s breath. A subsequent breath test revealed the driver had more than twice the legal limit of alcohol in his system.

As a result of the investigation Drew William Brown, 28, of Sydenham Road, Peterborough, was arrested and charged with impaired driving and operating a motor vehicle with more than 80mg blood alcohol content.

The accused was released from custody and is scheduled to appear in court on March 1, 2018.

Assault Arrest:
A Peterborough resident has been charged with assault following an investigation.

On February 8, 2018 police were dispatched to a Peterborough residence for a domestic dispute between the accused, a woman in her 30’s and her boyfriend. During the dispute it was reported that the accused had assaulted her boyfriend’s child.

As a result of the investigation the accused was arrested and charged with assault. The accused was held in custody and appeared in court on February 9, 2018.

The name of the accused will not be released in order to protect the identity of the victim in this domestic-based incident.

Drug and Weapons Arrests:
Two Peterborough residents are facing several charges after a loaded handgun, bear spray, cocaine, cash and heroin were located and seized during a police investigation.

On February 8, 2018 member of the ICAD Unit (Intelligence, Crime Analyst, Asset Forfeiture, Drugs) assisted by uniform members conducted an investigation into the sale of controlled substances. As a result of observations made three people were arrested on Rink Street in Peterborough for drug related offences. As a result of the arrests and subsequent search, police seized the following items:

A loaded and stolen 44cal handgun

A prohibited knife

A single can of Bear Spray

Approximately 8 grams of suspected cocaine

Approximately 15 grams of suspected heroin

Approximately 34 grams of suspected marijuana

10-18mg Hydromorphone pills

Approximately $4,100 in Canadian Currency

Those charged in relation to the investigation are Dalton Michael Kennedy, 20, and Stacey Hodges, 22, both of Peterborough.

Kennedy was held in custody and will appear in court on February 9, 2018 on the following charges:

A Peterborough man has lost $7,000 in an emergency scam involving the purchase of gaming gift cards.

In late January 2018 the victim, a man in his late 70’s, received a phone call from someone he thought was his son who quickly stated he had been in an accident, was at court and he needed help to speak to his attorney.

At that time another man got on the phone and identified himself as the son’s “attorney”. The attorney stated that his client admitted he was at fault during the accident and needed to pay a $4,000 fine plus cover costs associated to the other driver including medical costs.

The attorney explained to the victim that he had to go to a store and purchase Steam gift cards and he would later call back to redeem the cards. Steam is an online gaming platform and Steam cards are prepaid gift cards that can be used to purchase games, software and other items on the web site.

The victim went to a local drug store where he initially bought $3,500 in Steam gift cards. The victim called the “attorney” back and provided the card codes off each card. The attorney told the victim to go back out and purchase another $3,500 in Steam cards, which the victim did.

In total the victim purchased $7,000 in Steam gift cards and provided all the redeemable codes to the fraudulent lawyer via telephone.

A couple of days later the victim called his son to check on him and learned that he had been the victim of a scam. The incident was then reported to police.

This type of fraud, typically called an Emergency Scam, creates a high-stress, quick response situation that plays off the victim’s emotions.

The Peterborough Police Service urges people to stop, pause and think when they receive this type of phone call, email or text. If you receive this sort of call immediately hang up and try to get a hold of the family member who has reportedly been in the accident or needs help.

If you cannot get a hold of that family member try to get in touch with another family member who can verify that the person is in fact okay.

Warning bells should be going off when someone on the phone asks you to make any sort of payment with gift cards.

Before making any sort of payment, call a trusted family member or friend and check with your bank. Never make a payment to anyone who claims you can only pay via an untraceable method, like wire transfers, prepaid debit cards, or gift cards.

We also urge retailers to be vigilant and aware of customers coming into a store purchasing large amounts of gift cards. Please stop and think and ask the customer a couple of quick questions to determine if they are potentially being scammed.

How to protect yourself:

Remember: Scammers are counting on the fact that you will want to act quickly to help your loved ones in an emergency.

Caution: Never send money to anyone you don’t know and trust. Verify the person’s identity before you take any steps to help.

Think: Don’t give out any personal information to the caller.

Investigate: Ask the person questions that only your loved one would be able to answer. Call the child’s parents or friends to verify the story.

Ask yourself: Does the caller’s story make sense?

(From the Competition Bureau of Canada)

This is a reminder that there are several scams currently circulating in the area. To better educate yourself on these scams please visit the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre under Fraud Types or the Competition Bureau

To report a fraud please contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre toll free at 1-800-495-8501.

If you have been a victim of fraud or scam, meaning you have provided personal information/banking information or lost money in a scam, please contact the Peterborough Police Service at 705-876-1122 or report a non-emergency crime

Crime Stoppers

Crime Stoppers is a civilian, non profit, charitable organization that brings together the community, the police and the media in the fight against crime.

Crime Stoppers provides citizens with a vehicle to anonymously supply the police with information about a crime or potential crime of which they have knowledge. Cash rewards are offered to people who call the program and their information leads to an arrest.